Increase in the Free Finely-Dispersed Gold Recovery in the Flotation Cycle

This article presents the results of a comparative study for the increase in the free finely dispersed gold recovery from the gold-bearing ore produced in a deposit in Kazakhstan. The following minerals were identified in the sample under X-ray phase analysis: chalcopyrite and pyrite, as well as in a finely disseminated state in silicate minerals. Gold in the ore is present mainly (40.09%) in the free form under the results of phase analysis. Flotation tests of ore beneficiation were performed in FML-1 and FML-3 flotation machines with chamber volumes of 1.0 and 3.0 liters. A flotation combined concentrate with a gold content of 15.3 g/t was obtained (concentrate yield 9.45%), with gold recovery into concentrate 82.79% in the optimal mode: the grind of 90% in the class -0.071 mm; consumption of reagents: C7 foaming agent – 30 and 60 g/t, sodium butyl xanthate – 60 and 120 g/t; the time of the main flotation – 10 minutes, the control flotation – 7 minutes, at pH = 9. Flotation tailings contained 0.33 g/t of gold. The recovery showed a fairly high 84.42% (yield of the total concentrate 20.93%) with the gold content of 7.1 g/t with the use of a sulfidizing agent (Na2S) and additional dispersion of the pulp at pH = 9.0. A gold-bearing concentrate was obtained containing 4.0 g/t Au at a fineness of -0.05 mm and 6.8 g/t Au at a fineness of +0.05 mm. The beneficiation of the pulp with a fineness of +0.05 mm gave the recovery into the final concentrate equal to 89.94%.